Does ntds.dit get loaded into memory?

[Simon Geary]

I'm wondering if ntds.dit is loaded into a DC's memory by default? If it
does, what happens when the server's memory is less than the size of the
dit? If it doesn't, can this be changed to improve performance?

 

[Kim Frank]

Hi,

NTDS.dit is not fully loaded into memory. When the directory service needs
to access data, Lsass.exe loads pages from the database file (NTDS.dit) into
memory.

For full details take a look at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...nologies/activedirectory/maintain/adsize.mspx
in the section called "Changes to the Database.

Kim Frank

 

[Lee Flight]

See also

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308356

for a small enough ntds.dit I guess you could it into memory by running
an "appropriate" query, the sort of thing benchmarkers do.

Lee Flight